Sonadow: Jewel Thief
by Speedy The Needlemouse
Summary: An unknown villian has taken the Chaos Emeralds, and all eyes have turned to Shadow. With the hedgehog on the run, there's only one place to turn. Can our blue hero prove his innocence? Will the emeralds be found? And who is this mysterious Jewel Thief?
1. Clinging to Life

Ok, right, I just wanna start out by saying that this is my first Sonadow fic' and I will admit it's not brilliant. My style of writing is supposedly very different, but that's just what others have told me. If you like this then thank you. :D Every view is appreciated, even if I don't get a single review. Still, if anyone does read this then a bit constructive criticism would be nice :3 Please?

Inspired by He Is My Master and Dark Salvation, here it is:

Sonadow: Jewel thief

**Warning. The following 'fic' contains blood, violence and bad storylines. Read at your own peril...**

**Chapter One:**

**Clinging To Life**

The sun was just about to break over Westopolis' dusty buildings and dim alleyways, the first faint rays of orangey glow breaking over horizon, the mighty star not yet in sight. Birds twittered in the trees, people snored in their beds. All was peaceful, as it had been for the last two and a half years since the Black Arms attacked, the heroic hedgehog's deeds all but forgotten in the memory of it's citizens.

SSCCCRRRIIIPPPPP!

The bullet tore close by Shadow's head at three times the speed of sound, narrowly missing his ear. The hedgehog was panting as he ran, chased and aimed at by almost every G.U.N. soldier in the city. He ducked inside a ruined house and sank to the floor, gasping.

His latest run-in with the Guardian Unit of Nations was not a pretty one. What they were after him for, he didn't know, but it was something to do with the Chaos Emeralds. All seven of them were missing, and apparently a dark, hedgehog-like figure had been seen taking them from their places in G.U.N. headquarters. Now where was that major sense of de-ja-vu coming from? Still, exactly how that faker had escaped their clutches eluded his head like a kicked puppy. He had them unawares, sure, but if Sonic could do it, anyone could, right?

Even so, Shadow was innocent. A cetain angry commander said otherwise.

There was a smash, something small and hard whistling past him. The bullet drove itself into the wooden beam directly behind his bottom right spine. The hedgehog's head snapped round, then again to what remained of the shattered window. He couldn't spot anyone, but an assassin would have little point if you saw them coming. Another projectile flew straight past him. Then a third. Surely 'trained' soldiers didn't miss **THREE **times, right?

There was a sharp cracking sound as the support beam began to split. Already on his feet, Shadow dived out the broken window, the walls collapsing behind him. He stood and shook himself, looking back at the pile of destruction he nearly was a part of.

Ok. They don't miss.

The nect instant, Shadow felt his body spun violently. He fell to the floor, only just feeling the terrible sting of the bullet wound across his left arm. Gripping at it with his good hand, he cursed as the blood stained his glove a deep crimson, the hypersensitive nerves sending hellfire to his brain. Somehow, he forced himself up, and began to run down a nearby alleyway, another bullet boring itself into the pavement where his left foot had been just a half-second earlier.

Shadow slowed to a walk, his genetically enhanced muscles exhausted. Just two hours, and he was tired. Showed how hard they were pushing him. By this point, he was covered in cuts, bruises and weeping gashes. It went without a doubt he had a few broken bones, too. The ultimate lifeform shut his eyes and groaned. Why him?

A single gleam of silver caught his eye, as the sun finally rose above the horizon. A gun. He grabbed it with a single deft sweep of his good arm, his luck finally turning... before sighing with disgust. Empty. He tossed it behind him and carried on walking.

BANG!

The bullet ripped across the floor, through his shoe and straight into the back of his foot. He yelped with pain as he watched the floor crash towards him. Not as empty as he had thought...

Many precious seconds passed before he finally opened his eyes. Using his bloodstained right arm, he pulled himself over to what remained of a shattered fence, picked up a large plank of wood. Using it as a crutch to help him walk, the ultimate life form limped as fast as his injuries allowed along the passage, all the while his whole body ebbing with pain.

The end was in sight. Shadow peered out, to the left, then the right. He pulled back into the dark, the quickly looked up, down and behind himself, too. Never can be too careful. Using a knife he had found earlier, the hedgehog began to carve a smooth handle into the wood, as the splinters had begun to penetrate his gloves. Within a few seconds, he was satisfied, and stepped out of the shadows. The street was completly deserted. A few burning buildings here and there, but good enough an escape route as any.

Tucking the blade into his chest fur, he ampled slowly down the street. His fur bristled and he stopped, ears erect, eyes flickering. The sound of an explosion rang out from above, a G.U.N. helicopter crashing down mere inches in front of his nose. Shadow fell backwards, knocked his injured foot on the pavement and cursed loudly. He sat up and rubbed at his leg, before observing the wreck before him. The pilot and his comrades were dead, bodies alight with red hot licks of fire. Shadow felt no sympathy for them. He had grown up a heartless killer, a pointless experiment. Shunned and rejected were but a few of the feelings he had learned to accept. Still, there was Maria... But she was killed before his eyes, the memory still sparking flames of hatred towards all humankind inside his woozy head.

Turning to leave, his superior eyes spotted a flash of silver amidst the twisted metal and shards of glass. Stepping closer, his lids widened. A box. No, not a box... but a safe. Shadow picked his way towards it, retrieving it from under a split rotor. Using the last of the strength i his arms, he managed to prise it open. Inside... His pupils dilated in shock. No! It couldnt be!

It was. The silver chaos emerald! Shadow pulled it out, tossing the iron casing behind it. He held it to the light, watching the sun's rays dance through its many angles.

Smiling through the pain, he looked over at the copter. For a split second, he thought he saw Maria behind the wreckage. Her face was troubled, lonely. Shadow sighed, and the image disappeared. Suddenly his brain flashed on an idea. The weariness was affecting him deeply, but his plan was well thought out, a painless end to this madness.

"I'm coming, Maria," he whispered. Lifting the priceless gem above his head, he took in a deep breath. Then, for the whole world to hear, he cried out two words into the breaking dawn;

"Chaos... CONTROL!"

So whaddya you guys think? Should I continue, or should I go to FF hell for this peice of crap? You guys have to tell me! Pwweeease? Also, yes, there will be... yaknow... in later chapters but I want this to have a storyline too!


	2. A Friend In Need

The sun shone brightly over Hangway City, showering its residents with light, heat and deadly radiation. What little vegetation it had left swayed in the crisp ocean breeze, silently moarning the loss of their larger tree friends to car fumes, arson and the dreaded chain-saw, axe and furniture company trio. Now home to the fastest thing alive, the many streets were filled with the sound of waves lapping against the beach, wind whistling between the buildings and angry motorists undesirable curses.

The teal and tan form sighed, his fingers drumming on the remote. Channel hopping was such a drag. Channel one. Nothing. Two. Nothing. Three, four... Not a thing on T.V., as usual. He flicked off the monotonous flatscreen and sighed again. This was going to be a LONG day.

The blue speedster had had G.U.N. up his arse for the last four days, forever barging into his house with the same old 'Chaos Emeralds' this, and 'Shadow' that. He was SICK of it. He had tried to explain to them, in utmost vain, that there was nothing he could do. Shadow's location was unknown. His last known 'act' was shooting down a helicopter containing a recovered emerald, found a few metres from the crime scene, a few hours ago in nearby Westopolis. After that, he just 'vanished without trace'. It was definately Chaos Control, but they wouldn't have it. The soldiers were getting more and more desperate for his assistance, the simple word 'no' evidently not in their vocabulary. Sonic knew when enough was enough. And, oh, it was **enough**! He had already been interrupted three times that morning, and it was only 9:25!

Sighing a third time, he hauled his butt from the sofa and stretched his arms wide, chewing on nothing. He looked down at the tattered old thing, reaching out and fondling one of the less chilli-stained cushions. His gaze then spread to the carpet, a wry smile on his muzzle. This too, was covered in sauce. It was a no brainer as to why he got so few visitors, what with the smell and all. His coffee table, in the middle of the room, was the only thing actually half clean, his filthy sneakers usually propped up against it. He chuckled slightly to himself (or was it his mingy old furniture?), and set about wondering what had more chilli in it, him or his flooring.

It had been years since Eggman had last attacked. Either he had given up, or, most likely, had something in the works for planet Mobius. Sonic was itching for some action, but, despite the odd run every now and again, it was as thoughe he had almost settled down in the city. It suprised him to think about it, but then again he HAD bought a house and been sat in it for the past three weeks.

A run. Thats what he needed...

_...Bleh, a chilli-dog can do for now. Call me when the world is in mortal peril, I'll be there._

Sonic strode over to the kitchen, brushed the dust off the counter tops and opened the window. Gagging on the clean air for a few seconds, the hedgehog came to and walked to the fridge. Giving a yank at the somewhat stiff door, emerald eyes gave a casual look 'round inside.

"What should I have?" he asked himself. Paah! As if he didn't already know.

A knock at the door made the speedster jump, hitting his head on the fridge door. The jar of pickled onions slipped from the gloved grasp, smashing on the laminate tiles that covered his kitchen. He hissed, swiped an onion from the floor and, with a very uncharacteristicly pissy yell of "THE DOORS OPEN!", rammed it in his mouth. He stormed back into the living room, threw himself down on the couch and crossed his arms like a stubborn child. Now the question in his head was;

Which was most bitter? Him or the onion?

The door squeaked open, then all was silent, spare a few muffled footsteps over the turqoise carpet. Just about everthing in the house was blue or red, and you won no prizes for guessing why. The frame clicked as the panel was pushed slowly back into place, a slight draft chilling the hedgehog and making him shudder.

Sonic's eyes opened slightly wider than usual. Since when did G.U.N. soldiers knock? He slowly turned his head to the hallway.

His mouth fell open so far the onion fell out.

A shaking, white gloved hand, stained with streaks of red and brown, appeared in the doorway, clutching a tatty plank of wood. This was followed by a black, white and red boot, scuffed and bumped horribly. Another boot of the same description appeared, blood plastered thickly around the back, held gingerly off the floor. The hand moved forward again, dragging the stick with it, its owner perched on one leg precariously. The shoe pushed forward again, a few flecks of crimson splashed over its usually glimmery surface. Into view came the body of the black hedgehog, Shadow. He was looking dangerously pale, his eyes wide and distant, trembling. His left arm was clutched to his chest, his clump of pure white fur now a dark mass of tangled red hair. His wounds looked to be badly infected, the one across his arm by far not the worst, yet still bleeding from before. His whole body shook violently for a few seconds, his good arm clutching at the doorframe to steady himself. The makeshift crutch dropped with a clang, to which the hedgehog payed no heed. He blinked a few times, shook his head softly and looked up, trying to focus on his aqua look-alike. He somehow managed it, and, with his injured left arm, pointed at Sonic. After a few seconds, he stammered a painfully quiet command;

"J-juj-juh-just e-end-d i-it f-for muh-m-me... P-puh-please..."

Then, with a look not of pain, but sheer sorrow, the hedgehog's eyes rolled upward, and he collapsed, straight into the awaiting arms of Sonic. The saphire's face contorted in horror, unable to gather just what was happening. If he didn't something fast, Shadow would be...

"SHADOW! Wake up!" the speedster cried, shaking the still body. A knife fell out of the ultimate life form's bloodied fur, gashing Sonic's lower leg. He stiffened and grimaced, but held firm. As the hedgehog stood bleeding, he turned the still form over in his grasp, to get what could be a final look at his living face. It was calm and peaceful, as though he was in some other, better place. His breathing was shallow, but at least he was still alive...

_Come on faker, I know you better than this... Fight it!_

Taking him over to the couch, Sonic set the genetically engineered 'hog down. Rolling him into a blatently pathetic excuse for the recovery position, grassy green irises darted around for the phone.

_An ambulance. Get him to a hospital. I can't treat him here... Hell, I can't treat him!_

The search for the device stopped as soon as it began. Shadow was a wanted criminal. Dying or otherwise, no hospital on Mobius, or any other of the planets he'd been to in his adventurous life for that matter, would take him in. Looking back over his shoulder, he tried to take re-assurance in the ultimate life-form's breaths. As long as he was breathing, it wasn't too late. There were bandages in the kitchen. If he could stop the bleeding and clean him up, the highly developed tissues in Shadow's body would be more than ok on their own... right?

Sonic tried not to dwell on that last thought as he dug through his drawers.

_Now where is that first aid kit?_

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Oh my peanuts, SHADOW NO! Will he live? Or will he finally see his precious Maria again? And then there's me, updating a story ONE DAY after the last post! WOW, something's wrong there. And if you don't review, you'll have to wait even longer to find out how Shadow fares!

But seriously. Reviews = MOTIVATION FOR ME. So feed me 'em and I'll write for ya!


	3. Where in the?

The onyx and ruby form ran through the forest, the thick scent of pine sap heavy in the calm, midnight sky. The needles crunched beneath his feet, every breath hanging icily in the air. Eyes turning up to the moon, he sighed with an almost complete sense of content. He ducked around a tree, over a log, through a shallow stream, going somewhere yet no-where in on particular on this peaceful sprint. A great gasp of oxygen filled his lungs, the black hedgehog taking in the wonderous scent of nature.

Exhaling, he slowed to a halt, features contorted slightly. What was this? This new smell, catching his perfected senses in the tiniest wisps, too small for normal hedgehogs to even think about noticing. A crackling from behind, and a few stray spindley tendrils of thick black smoke wrapped around his legs. His nose twitched and his eyes watered as the smell increased, his body whirling around, eyes wide with questioning fear. Beginning to cough and splutter, he finally realised, it was that most horrid comparison to the woodland odour;

Fire.

The ultimate lifeform looked around himself shakily, aware of impending danger. A few licks of flame were visable over the horizon, scorching the treetops and melting the pine cones in its never ending hunger. He began to run, it no longer important where to, just away. The forest seemed to go on forever, a maze of trunks and dips and endless things to trip over. His mind raced, trying to think of where he was, how he got here. Blank. Nothing came back to him. Without warning a burning branch smashed down in front of him, jolting him back to an awful reality. He had run straight to the fire! He gave a reflexive leap over the flames, crashing down harshley on the other side, rolling over in the dirt. Jumping to his shaking legs, he, had it not been for the burning smog in the air, would have gasped in utter shock.

The fire was all around him, spreading like, well, wildfire, bringing itself closer and closer every second. Taking a deep, ash-filled breath, Shadow leapt up into the tree-tops, putting his long-unused triangle jump to good use. His entire body stiffened, eye ridges widening in fear as he flew towards a burnt trunk, too late to change course. He kicked right through it, the charcoal shattering, arms flailing as the ground rushed forward, no-where left to go but down. He fell into a ditch, pain flaring from his right shin. The leg was broken and useless, hindering his progress to a pathetic crawl. The needles cut through his knees and gloves, and within minutes they were falling off him, the flesh beneath laced with gashes and unbearable sores. Sitting up, he could only cower and watch as the fire came closer and closer. The heat was unbearable, and as the first ember singed the fur on his leg, his wheezing started again, the smoke taking ahold. Inch by inch, his arms slipped out from under him until he fell flat on his side. This was the end, and there was nothing to stop him as he drifted into a deep slumber...

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"Passcode; Elemental."

Low grinding rang through the tunnel, dim light flooding in from the night sky as a heavy metal door slid open, gears and cogs straining to shift its massive bulk. The figure slipped inside, the voice-activated panel rolling back into place, sealing the passage off from the world once more, blocking out the constant crash of the ocean. Footsteps echoed along the rocky cavern, bored straight into the water-worn face of Emerald Coast cliffs. It was an old hideout, dark and damp almost scuttling around like insects in every nook and cranny, no matter how many lights were installed. There was a smell of salt, even with the entrance well above sea level, a lingering annoyance that could not be driven away. Still, a secret base isn't designed for comfort, as much as it would help. Not that it mattered. In a few hours, the whole world would be under an almost hypnotic spell, a trance enduced by the power of those gems of such strength, such amazing power. No more hiding in this clammy cave, no more plotting and scheming. I shall be ruler of everything and everyone, Master of-

"Thinking out loud again, are we?"

"Wha-Shut up! I don't pay you to eavesdrop!"

"Uhh, you don't actually pay me at a-"

"Whatever! Get out!"

To much grumbling, the door slammed shut. A few seconds later, a shadowy form re-opened it and stepped inside.

"I got them..."

The second whirled around, sneering with evil pleasure at the sight before him. His hands rubbed together maraudingly, partly from habit and partly from cold. A sea-front lair does get more than a bit of a draft, unforunately.

"Excellent! Just a few more moments, and I will possess the ultimate power..."

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"...Urrf..."

The odd combination of socks, deodorant and chilli met Shadow's nose, said appendage twitching slightly at the odour as the ultimate hedgehog drifted back to the land of the living. His eyes stayed closed, too exhausted to open them, trying to figure out where exactly he was using scent and hearing instead. Where were the foresty smells, the smoky air, the pain in his shattered leg? Obviously, he was not in the woods any longer. But how had he gotten where he was now? The woodland run... Had he dreamt that?

The night spent running from G.U.N. was now just a vague blur in his memory, his mind reeling with thoughts. What happened? How did it end? He couldn't remember. The last thing he recalled was finding the emerald. Speaking of which... **where was it? **He felt around for it in his hands.

_**Chaos damnit...**_

It wasn't there. He must have dropped it. Every part of him wanted to smack his face on something for being so stupid.

Then again, if he could smack his head on something, it proved he was a lot better than the last time he was awake. There was no pain, but his entire body felt like lead, numb all over. It was as though ten morphine pills were coursing through his system, giving him a horrible dizziness that made him appreciate the fact he was lying down. But where exactly was he lying?

Opening his eyelids just a smidge, ruby orbs attempted to focus on whatever was infront of his face, sight blurry and hazed. A white thing...? White with blue splotches, to be correct. He struggled to bring it into view, squinting at the thing that seemed to taunt him, mock him, until...

_Aha! A ceiling!_

He blinked dumbly.

_...Wait, what?_

Twisting, wide eyes scanned the surroundings, brain firing into alert mode. A cabinet, wardrobe, empty cans... Everything you would expect in a normal teenager's room. Shadow blinked again.

_Except, why the hell am I in a bedroom?_

His arm reached out to help him stand, when it met resistance and a dull ache throbbed through it, making the genetically engineered form cringe. But what was... A sling? Looking down his body, he saw it covered in bandages, most stained a horrible crimson-brown. The smell was better off left undescribed, too sickly for words. It was then that Shadow realised his gloves and shoes were missing. He felt strangely naked without them, almost blushing at the odd thought.

Using his other, unbound arm, the 'hog pulled himself to his feet, before yelping and falling. That gunshot wound hurt like bloody Nora, and how he had forgotten about it was beyond his present understanding. There was a clattering from outside the door, the strip of pale light emenating from under it flickering as a body passed before it. Then the door was open, a three foot three hedgehog with a slightly more concerned than usual expression on his face standing beside it.

"Faker?" He squinted, eyes not yet adjusted to the dark, searching for a body admist the mess that qualified as his sleeping quarters.

"Et toi, bleu," Shadow grunted from the floor in his best french accent, unable to stop himself wondering just where he'd picked that up. A bad film on the ARK with Maria, perhaps? Sonic jumped back in alarm as his eyes caught sight of the lump on his floor.

"Chaos, are you alright?"

A thousand angry responces flashed through the onyx one's mind, biting them back not an easy task. Instead, he just rolled his eyes, drumming his fingers on the carpet, head propped up on his hand nonchalently. A _tch _sound did escape, however, 'accidently' slipping out, just loud enough to hear. The speedster gave the smallest of grins, knowing that Shadow would be just fine.

_Still, it wouldn't hurt to mess with him a little... Heheheh..._

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SO! What do you guys think of THAT? These things just get longer and longer, huh?

What, you though I'd let Shadow die? Im not that cruel! XD Anywho, it's the WEEKEND so I shall have plenty of time to type, (although after this I will need a BREAK TO END ALL BREAKS Dx.. My eyes!) and plenty of time to respond to any reviews I may get... **Nudge nudge, wink wink, eh?**

Its basic maths really: Reviews = Motivation. Motivation = Typing. Typing = New chapter uploaded. So Reviews = New Chapter! Get what I'm saying? :D


	4. Knock Knock

"Hahah! Hahahahhaa! Haha.. ha.. ha..."

New-found glee melting alongside the chortles, two dilated pupils scanned over the precious gemstones again and again, lids growing wider and wider each time. "YOU IDIOT!" he snarled, fists bunched in rage as his entire body snapped around to face the apparent imbecile. His entire plan would have to be shoved into hiatus until this mess had been cleared, and just when it seemed he had won, just when all was going so well. So close, and yet...

"THERE'S ONE MISSING!"

The second, smaller figure grunted under the hole-boring gaze now aimed directly at its face, uncaring for all the proceedings going on. They had the emeralds. No need to shout and point fingers. He held out his gloved hand, studying the back of his fingers.

"What do you mean, missing?"

"Oh I don't know," the Mobian lent forwards until his face was mere inches from the other, seemingly calm. Then;

"YOU DROPPED IT, PERHAPS?" The sudden outburst didn't have as big an effect as was hoped, an uneven scowl the only responce.

"Are you sure?" Avoiding a punch to the head, the shorter of the pair breezed around his companion and eyed the gems. "One, two, three... Six. There were seven, right?" Sidestepping, the guffaw was barely contanined as a body flew straight into the table, rebounding off at a painful angle, landing on his backside.

"Ek! Just get it!"

"Whatever!"

A long, hedgehog-esk shadow passed, just for the smallest of moments, over the churning water as its creator stepped onto the rock slab below the entrance. The setting sun gleamed off his dark colouring as though it were a mirror, twinkling on par with Edward Cullen and Jacob Whashisface. The next, it was gone, stalking the lone runner as he sprinted off over the auburn horizon.

"One Chaos Emerald. Can't be that hard, right?"

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"Watch it!"

The black body winced as it was dropped back onto the bed, a badly supressed laugh ringing in its ears. Sitting upright, Shadow rubbed at the back of his leg, shooting not so much daggers as longswords at the azure with those flaming crimson eyes.

_If you don't cut it out..._

"So..." The speedster mumbled, either unaware or taking no heed of the storm brewing just feet beside him. He wasn't brilliant at smalltalk, now no more than ever as he tried to start what might be considered a conversation with his lookalike. His head inclined slightly as he rubbed between his lower left and center spines awkwardly, unsure how to start. What do you say to a battered criminal taking refuge on your bed? Glancing over, his eyes scanned down the now a considerebly bigger portion white than black and red torso, shaking his head at the stained bandages with a slight cringe. Guilty or otherwise, he was still hurt. And any sign of pain sparked an instinctive urge to help from somewhere deep inside Sonic, no-matter who or where it was. It was his duty. Even if Shadow of all people was pushing it.

A masculine-sounding yell rang out, waves of sound crashing in from beyond the yellowing door, startling the pair. The hedgehogs looked at each other for a few moments, then the standing one made to leave. Jumping down the stairs with a triple corkscrew backflip (plus spinning kick), he landed cat-like on his feet, holding his arms out as though awaiting applause. When he got none, he groaned and opened his eyes to face the next uniformed idiot who had decided to ram down his doors and give him orders. The soldier opened his mouth to begin, but was cut short by an altogether rather unwelcoming sounding Sonic. The hedgehog spoke fast. Too fast to be interupted, but clear enough to get his point across.

"How nice of you to drop by for a chat. What do you want to talk about? No, wait. Let. Me. Guess. 'Do you know where Shadow is? Did you find the emeralds? We need you to investigate the city, or clear a wreckage, or chase a suspect, blah de blah de BLAH! This has been going on for DAYS now! Im this close, THIS CLOSE..." Sonic's gloved hand shot out, fingers held almost together, a few millimetres apart, "...to punching that damned commander in his sixty year old FACE! Can't a hedgehog get a BREAK around here?" He gave a slightly crazy little twitch of his left eyelid, fists bunched with seething rage. His breathing had become low and raspy, pupils dilated. All eight of his spines were raised into attack position, ready to sythe through whatever or whoever the individual thousands of razor sharp quills came into contact with. The entire form of the speedster was wracked by violent shaking, apparently mere seconds from dropping the good guy act and going on some form of psycho rampage himself. The G.U.N. agent stepped back in horror, trembling, before turning tail and running for his life, door slamming behind him. Sonic took a deep breath, letting the 'anger' flow away, spikes smoothing out and muscles loosening. He could look angry when he wanted to. It wasn't all that hard, after the thousands of furious glares and bits of body language he had seen given by everyone he had met. From Eggman to Tails, emerald eyes had seen each and every one of them angry on some occasion. A few ruffled back quills and some deep breathing worked more than was necessary. Heck, it bought him some time.

Sonic didn't like to frighten people. It wasn't in his nature. And it wouldn't help him when G.U.N. showed up to deal with a second crazed anthropomorph, ramming down his doors and searching his home for clues as to why 'Sonic the Hedgehog, Hero of Mobius' had suddenly decided to go insane. They'd have a field day if they found Shadow here too. So now it wasn't just execution for insanity. He'd be killed for that, too.

_Death for housing of a criminal. Niiice._

The azure shook his head and turned towards the kitchen, stomach growling, completely oblivious to the crimson-tinted eyes watching him from the top of the stairs.

_Just __**what**__ is going on around here?_

Shadow shook his head, completely and utterly confused. First, Sonic binds his injuries. And then the very same, ever-friendly hedgehog had just gone completely berzerkers at a soldier. Something was deathly wrong here. Someone here had gone mad, and the ultimate lifeform still had his doubts about exactly which one it was. Black limbs began dragging the furry body slowly back to the bed, Shadow's mind elsewhere.

_Hell, for all I know, it could even be both of us ._

Whatever the case, the logical plan of action seemed to be to stay put. But there was something niggling away at the onyx one, bothering him. Where had that emerald gotten to? He couldn't sense a single wisp of Chaos in the air, and it troubled him. That meant it wasn't in the house, that he had dropped it somewhere after the Chaos Control, and that any idiot could have picked it up. Shadow groaned as those six stupid words came back to him, bad images of a certain Doctor's theme park flashing through his head, and the question he had asked himself whilst running through it.

_You know, I just realised. I talk to myself too much._

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As do I, Shadow. XD

Sorry for the wait, but I have A LONG time off now. :D So expect at least one more update over the weekend, maybe. If not, then, meh. Whenever.

So. Will Shadow find the emerald? Or will the mysterious hedgehog get to it first? And what will Sonic get from the fridge? THE TENSION! Stay tuned, to find out!


	5. Who's There?

Speedy: Well, guys, it's nice to speak to you all again :3 Did you miss me?... No? Aww... *sadness* Well, I'm very sorry about the wait, all the same. I was... doing stuff... yeah. XD Like sprites and junk and procrastination. Lot's of procrastination. Sorry. But I was also doing an animation! Ever heard the song 'Danjo Danjo'? I was putting myself and friends into it! So fun! Heheh. It's not done yet, but it's coming along X3 (If you're curious, or maybe wanna support my video, the beta version (unfinished) is here: .com/watch?v=-YPTtGiTNBc If you watch it, then THAAANKS! [note: I'm the sensai :D])

If you are kinda squeamish, there's a bit of gore in the first part. So just scroll down untill you see the .:.:.:. bit again. Kthnkzbai!

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"I'm coming, Maria!"

The ultimate life form bolted down the long hallway, the glow from the many distant galaxies, solar systems and magnificant stars streaming faintly through the long windows, lighting his onyx fur, his crimson eyes.

The floodlights and jet thrusters of the Ark, along with all other electronics (including the oxygen generator and air shield), had shut down when they had attacked the generator.

Who 'they' were, Shadow didn't quite know. All he could gather was that Maria was in danger, and that the Ark would soon be in pieces due to the fierce vacuum of space ripping it apart. The pair had to escape, but with his only friend trapped in a damaged room, the life sustaining conditions failing every second, he had to hurry. Unable to teleport due to the lack of Chaos energy in the air, he was reduced to running like a madman towards her. Why was this **damn** corridor so long?

He reached the end and nearly screamed out in fury. The metal panel was locked. Driving his fingers underneath it, he rammed it upwards and dashed into the room. His sharp eyes and hypersensitive ears scanned the pitch black space before him, said appendages twitching violently at every creak of metal, every crackle of static, any sound at all.

From the inky darkness came a noise. At first, it sounded like glugging water. Then, as the black hedgehog listened closer, it turned out to be more of a deep, echoey **giggle**. There was a ripping, squelching sound, then a clash of toothy jaws. Horrific, drawn out chewing noises followed, each one flooding over the black form, threatening to fill him with almost paralysing horror.

The room was thrown sharply into light, forcing Shadow's arms to his face, his body to its knees. It wasn't the sudden change that affected him. No. He was used to this sort of thing, prepared from the many, almost daily experiments and 'modifications' by the scientists aboard the station. No, it wasn't that. It was the light itself. The glow seemed to be scraping at him, singing his fur, cooking his flesh...

When at last Shadow could finally open his eyes, two dilated ruby orbs trailed down his butchered torso. His fur **had** burnt away, mere scraps of it left in the more heavily shadowed areas of his body. His skin stang bitterly all over, his torso the worst affected, covered in severe scorches and cuts. He fought to lift his head, surveying the room.

Blood.

Everywhere.

The ultimate lifeform's head turned slowly round in horror as he took in the fantasy-like scene, time feeling as though it had died as sharply as the victim here. There were guts strewn along the walls, lakes of deep red flooding the cracked flooring. A whimper escaped his lips as his eyes rested on the shredded remains of a crystal blue dress...

He dropped his head and sobbed strongly, uncontrollable shakes wracking his body. After a few seconds, the giggle came again, this time more like some twisted chortle, a deep, throaty roar.

A hand cupped around his tender pink chin, lifting it upward. He wanted to shut his eyes, to block out this heart-mincing scene. But something kept them open. He was forced to look a second time at the bloodied walls, the smeared windows. It looked as if some demonic little boy had had some 'fun' with his sister's new 'Barbie'.

A living...

...breathing...

...screaming Barbie.

His traitorous eyes picked up on all the new, Maria-like details;

A strand of long, golden hair,

A ripped black shoe,

A saphire-blue eye,

A message... scrawled out in **blood**.

Here, his head was jerked to a stop. He didn't want to know... He didn't want to know! But something inside him forced him to read it, in all it's gore-stricken entirity;

"It's your fault, Shadow... And now... We are dead..."

There was a sharp splatter of blood at the end, as though something had happened. Something Shadow shivered to even considered thinking about. Everyone on the ARK was dead. And all because of him. His eyes finally closed, but it was in vain. The images he had seen...

The slivers of skin,

The crushed bones,

_The mutilated dress..._

They were burned into his mind, seeing them clear as day.

A voice pierced deep into his thoughts, somehow jolting him from his all-consuming pain.

"Shadow..."

It unnerved him deeply. Who was this person, this thing, this **monster**? He knew that voice from somewhere... somehow...

"Why are you crying, Shadow? Isn't this what you wanted? What we both wanted?"

Shadow tryed to speak, to cry out, any noise at all. Nothing came, other than a dry croak and a thud, as the black hedgehog finally collapsed.

He just wanted to die... Just for it to end...

He eyes were forced open, and he found himself face to face with the blood-stained, one-eyed, wailing visage of... of...

"**Maria****!**!..."

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"GYAAHA!"

Bedsheets were thrown back as the ultimate life form practically jumped off the mattress, landing ninja-like on his good leg. Another damn nightmare...

As a sweaty Shadow attempted to compose himself, the door creaked open and one azure needlemouse (seeming grey in the light, or rather the lack of it) stuck his head inside.

"You alright, faker?" It took a lot of effort to supress another scream from the black hedgehog, his head jolting around, ears errect and muscles stiff. Lowering his spines, he growled and turned his head away.

"What do you think?"

"Aww.. Does wikkle Shadow want some wawm miwk and a bedtime stowy?" The hedgehog was very quickly running out of ways to stop his hands wrapping around Sonic's throat, pulling thick strands from the carpet in order to calm himself to a point were his voice sounded reasonably nuetral.

"I'm fine, **thank you.**"

"No, really, I'll tuck you back in if-!" Sonic leapt to one side as a table, complete with the random junk atop it, came hurtling his way, rolling as he hit the ground. Light flooded in from behind as a new doorway was torn into the wall, outlining an 'ever so slightly' irritated ultimate life form.

_Jeez, Shads, anger management is just down the hall, you know._

"I said I'M FINE." He turned his back and hurrumphed, nose held in the air in an 'oh-so-holier-than-thou' kind of way. Sonic couldn't help but grin, the injuries on his rival the only thing from stopping a blue body crashing against black in a playful tackle. Well, that and the fact said blue body would end more than a smidge broken.

Shadow half turned, expression suddenly a lot more blank. "There is... one... thing... though..."

"And that is?"

"You haven't seen a Chaos Emerald anywhere... have you?"

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_**Where the HELL is it?**_

Sharp fangs grinding with anger at this point, running flat out around the town, unable to sense even a drop of Chaos Energy in the air. A sudden idea hit him as he turned out into the countryside, a wicked glimmer in his eyes.

_G.U.N. HQ. Of course._

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"Damnit!"

The ultimate hedgehog sank back down on the bed, scowling. It was in his hands. And he DROPPED it. Another step backwards on the world saving scale.

"Calm down Shads, it's not THAT bad." A dirty scowl appeared on the onyx' face, who snorted and cast his eyes away, pouting. Sonic rolled his eyes and left, slamming the door as he left. The room was cast into darkness as the hall light clicked off, the speedster trudging down the stairs to the lounge...

_Yeah, because I reeaaally don't mind sleeping on the sofa._

...Only to freeze in his anti-friction heat resistant sneakered tracks as one weary emerald gaze met with a challenging gold and aqua glare.

"Alright. Hands where I can see 'em."

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Ooooh! 'nother nightmare! Had you going right? No? Great, that means Master won't be happy... *shudder* Right, I'll write something else soon... if I survive the weekend, that is. :(

**But still!** What's going to happen? Find out... NEXT CHAPTER!


	6. Picking Up Again

Derp

Ok firstly, hiatus, I know. And I am **SORRY.** Master didn't seem best pleased with my last chapter, so he threw me in a cupboard and locked me in there over the past couple of months.

Just kidding. A story I'm reading here stopped with the updates, so I ended up completely forgetting this one existed. However, due to recent interest in it (and a new chapter of said other story going up), I am planning on picking it right back up :3 So, I hope this chapter is enough to get everyone back up to speed with the plot, which I (finally) have some ideas for. Hopefully this will be enough to gain your forgiveness?

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Just one away from the ultimate power.

The precious gemstones lay grasped in thin robotic claws, a glowing frosted glass tube drawing energy from each of the prongs in contact with them down through the worktop beneath. The glow of the hextuple Chaos Emeralds lit up the inside of the dim cave, casting deep shadows of multiple colours around the bleak, salty rocks and recently added technological units controlling them. With the Chaos-energy signature-blocking panels in place, every light in the cavern was powered by the limitless energy drained from the emeralds; even a single wisp of Chaos escaping to the outside world would give the game away. The semi-transparent tubes carried the unstable chaos energy through the cliff to power huge machinery, far below the crashing waves surrounding the Emerald Coast lair. Even at its great depth, the ominous groan of the distant machinery was loud and constant, the products of its never-ceasing operations designed from the most superior of minds, of a complexity to easily top the world's greatest scientific and military minds' best efforts by far and beyond.

A seventh, infuriatingly empty claw stood in the middle of the lighted six, a dull, unlit energy transfer tube trailing down from the prongs... The spanner in the so far flawless works of his plan; incompetence had left him missing an emerald.

"The servers are the seven Chaos..."

Twin beady eyes surveyed the six emeralds from behind blue-tinted lenses, flicking occasionally to the huge readouts onscreen beyond the table they stood upon.

"...Chaos is power..."

One leg crossed over the other, the world-renowned villain sat back in his chair, said furniture bending to accommodate his hefty bulk. A satin-clad hand stroked along the left side of his mighty facial hair, a twisted grin partially hidden beneath the odd, furry tufts either side of his nose.

"...power enriched by the heart..."

Gloved fingers meshed loosely together atop his slim thighs, a chuckle escaping from somewhere beneath that bushy moustache.

There'd be seven soon.

"...The controller is the one that unifies the Chaos..."

Several work benches resided inside the room, covered with countless wires, radars, gadgets and keyboards. The whole chamber had a temporary feel to it, that the cluttered mess within was to be moved elsewhere, at some later stage. However, the fact was that, beneath the surface, everything was just where it was needed to be. The central command of just the latest in a long line of attempts to take over the world.

Upon one bench lay several timeless scrolls, discovered quite by accident during one of the countless defeats following previous schemes; all foiled, of course, by that sound barrier shattering annoyance of a hedgehog. Sever scanners were weaving their way back and forth over the faded surfaces.

"...and commands the seven Servers."

Until recently, the contents of the scrolls had been nothing but gibberish lines, having been written in the illegible ancient language of the Chaos Guardians, the echidnas. The only hope of a translator on the entirety of Mobius and its surrounding solar system was either the shady Nocturnus Clan, banished to the far regions of space, never to be heard from again, or the firey Knuckles, who would rather put a fist through the papers (not to mention other things) first. However, over many months, high tech computer software purpose built for the task had translated the scrolls' meaning into something close to understandable, and all it took was a quick look over to obtain its once cryptically guarded secrets. Secrets that could, in the right hands, lead the world to its knees...

The push of a button brought a robotic figure scurrying into the room, spots of liquid forming a trail behind it. Mop clutched in hand, he saluted, sending a splash of chlorine, water and 'lemon-fresh' scented floor cleaner spattering onto the rocks beside him. A faint glow from the lightbulb forming the topmost part of the machine's head reflected weakly off the cavern walls, outshone effortlessly by the emeralds' radiance.

"Y-yes, sir?"

The badnik had an unusually high voice, almost childlike, with a hint of stupidity and mischief. Primate in form, the tin chimp flicked his tail nervously, the light atop his head dimming slightly with each syllable he spoke.

"Has the emerald been located?" The villain was facing away from his ape-esk mecha, green readouts from the massive monitors giving the chair an ominous glow and a long grey shadow.

"No sir, not yet sir. I-in fact, there's been no trace of it all day, not even one tiny li-"

"No was sufficient, Coconuts." The statement was harsh and cutting. The chimp scratched at his head a few moments, scowling lightly.

"Well, there's no need to get worked up abo-"

"No was sufficient, Coconuts. If I wanted to know about your day, I would have asked." His voice was firmer this time, implying that a certain badnik would be sent through the scrapper line if it spoke unnecessarily again. Coconuts gulped deeply, flicking his tail and shuddering at the memory of the last time that had happened. A flicker on-screen took the megalomaniac's attention off of his robot servant for a few seconds, a red pulsing orb appearing on a screen far to the left, displaying a map. After those seconds had passed, a sleek, gloved finger subtly pressed down on a button set into the armrest. The chair span around sharply, the bright light from behind making the figure within a deep black silhouette, the tips of his bushy moustache, his black-clad ankles and the lenses of his glasses highlighted in that eerie, emerald-green glow. One side of said facial hair dipped ever so slightly as a low scowl spread across one side of the villain's face.

"Summon the retrieval unit, Coconuts. I've had enough of waiting for that spined excuse for a broken abacus. After that..." the head inclined slightly in thought toward the ceiling "...you can take the day off."

"Okeydokes, Sir." The mecha turned to leave, then span back, the cracked glass of his lightbulb lit brightly from within. "Wait, I can have the day off? Really?!"

"No. Afterwards, you can scrub the toilets." The chimp had to work hard to keep the groan inaudible. Cleaning duty stinks.

The various liquids had by now formed a small puddle beneath the roped end of the mop, not quite touching its boot-clad feet but growing steadily nearer. Upon turning around, the badnik slipped quite comically, landing flat on his face with a crunch and a loud 'Oof!'. Fortunately, as he ashen-facedly picked himself up, his master had already turned back to the screens. Swiping the mop from the floor, he scowled and stormed out of the room.

"_I hate cleaning duty!_"

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_Just where is it?!_

Sleek quills scythed through yet another bumbling guard, the pained wail not even bringing a smirk to the hedgehog's face anymore; somehow, it just wasn't as funny the 200th time you heard it. Emerald legs a blur, sharp fangs bared in frustration, the hedgehog checked the base a ninth time, finishing off the last of the soldier troops who had been foolish or dim witted enough not to flee. His already shallow puddle of a patience was wearing thinner and thinner with each corner, having to stop and search every nook and cranny again and again. There wasn't even a trickle of chaos energy in the air, throwing forth the idea that the emerald was not only absent, it had never been here in the first place. His luck, so far as good as it gets, what with no silent alarms tripped and the communications mysteriously down, was running out on him. There was no sign of it anywhere.

G.U.N. being the sophisticated, highly advanced sector it was, there was always a chance of Chaos-proofed shielding around the precious gemstone, which would prevent the telltale leak of pure energy interfering with the machinery. It also, as a frustrating side effect, works to prevent the emerald being detected. If it was here, it would require some effort to locate. Manual effort. With an exasperated groan, the quilled assailant began his tenth lap of the Metropolis-based base, mentally berating himself for killing the base's leader before he could torture the location out of him.

That's it. Not even world domination was worth this monotonous, slow paced crawl of a search. Scourge stepped out of the ruined entrance and squinted at the sunlight through his red-rimmed shades. Three hours he'd spent in there, and for nought. His fur was matted with blood and sweat, and he'd stepped in something somewhere along the line. Unsure what to do, the emerald hedgehog rubbed his aching head. Back to the Emerald Coast lair? A peace shattering sound tremor hit Scourge hard from behind, instinct forcing the hedgehog to snap back into the secret entrance, gloved hands over his ears, quills raised and dilated eyes scanning for danger. There wasn't much that could break the sound barrier that could threaten him... Hissing, sky blue orbs scanned the area outside for anything blue and particularly speedy. A troop of mechas jetted noisily overhead, clearing the area at speed with their hyper jump jets. No doubt in his mind who they belonged to, it was clear to Scourge his 'partner' was growing impatient, just as he was. At least it wasn't a hedgehog... A bitter voice nagged at him with the fact this was his fault, that he had dropped the mystical gem back when he had taken the others at the other G.U.N. hideout. A louder voice told that one to stuff it, and he set off running, figuring those mechas had to be headed somewhere important. Hell, for all he knew, the seventh Emerald's location could have been known all along and that fat megalomaniac might have just been hoping the military would bump him off. Not a chance of that happening, but the thought was still a possibility. A retrieval squad is sent to RETRIEVE for a reason, right? Growling, Scourge ran out behind them, hanging what he hoped to be a long enough distance behind to be out of sight. A trail of dust kicked up along the plains as the hedgehog sped along, sharp canines bared in a lopsided, dirty smirk. It was a plan at least.

The base had been in the middle of absolutely nowhere, miles from Central City, Station Square, anywhere vaguely recognisable at all really. It was surrounded by acres of nothing but scrub and brooks, short trees and rocks, a few plantless hills a few miles away on the horizon; the technology inside outdated and rusty, the soldiers off guard and now very, very dead. The mechas were heading due East, towards the Emerald Altar at the Mystic Ruins, unaware of the green blur trailing several miles behind them.

Said green blur, however, failed to notice that he had his own tail, in the form of a mysterious figure watching from the very tip of the closest peak...

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Shadow winced and pulled his arm away from the sling, forgetting his fading yet still agonising injuries for a moment as he attempted to pull his trademark 'arms crossed with unimpressed scowl' pose for the umpteenth time that morning, and for the umpteenth plus one time swearing he wouldn't do that again. Sonic had mentioned GUN was practically living on his doorstep as of the past week, but Chaos be damned if it was only half past 8 in the fu-

Gunfire.

The injured anthropomorph instantly snapped into combat mode, ears erect, legs braced, pupils dilated. Some part of his brain took into account the changes needed in his battle style to accommodate the injuries he had sustained; some other the amount of objects in the room usable as weaponry; yet another the amount of manoeuvrability in the cramped rooms and corridors available. A burst of gravelly orders was forced out from below in a voice all too familiar to the black hedgehog, something about a certain black hedgehog. What was quite so unnerving, however, was that, unlike the many, many intrusions prior to this one, it wasn't about said onyx sapient's location; rather, that he was to be handed over. **Immediately**.

It was then Shadow realised that there was an all too noticeable absence of supersonic blue streaks.

_Something, somewhere, has gone really_,_ really wrong_, a voice came from the ultimate lifeform's military mind.


	7. The Plan Begins

At Key Stage 4 (GCSEs) in my school, you get to choose 4 'options'; subjects you wish to take to the end of your secondary school education. If you are intelligent, however, one of your options has to be a language. Therefore, it isn't an option, it's mandatory. You have no say in the matter, and you are stuck with it for two solid years. So, due to my supposed smarts, I had to memorise 7 paragraphs of a language I am never going to use (no offence to the French, but no.) in an impossibly short amount of time. On top of that, I have other homework and revision, and then of course I have to sleep. To give you a rough idea of paragraph size, by the way, it's about the size of this one. Sorry to rant, but I just felt I should get that out of the way.

In other words: 'ello mi lovlies! Christmas update, ahoy! Happy whatever doesn't offend you, and hope you all enjoy the festive season c:

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Not for the first time, Shadow the Hedgehog awoke to unfamiliar surroundings and unexpected constraints.

This time around, however, the unknown was making itself much more unpleasant.

Hanging the complete wrong way up, by what the engineered sapient could only guess were chains, Shadow found himself in a bleak prison cell with only his thoughts for company. A reedy light bulb flickered behind a rusting copper grid on the wall in front of him, thick cobwebs, covered in dust and long abandoned, suspended beneath. Behind him, somewhere outside his cell, the sound of slow dripping echoed around the concrete room. A damp, earthy, underground sort of scent hung around his throat, stifling him like a mouldy gag and making his empty, disoriented stomach feel even sicker.

A spider hung from his nose, swaying occasionally on a nigh-unseeable thread. Twin red orbs scorched daggers at it, the arachnid simply staring back with impunity at the bound anthropomorph, whose gloved hands currently resided in cuffs behind his back.

_I'll be damned before I'm going to twitch my nose to get rid of a Godforsaken spider._

Shadow wasn't really one for staring contests, so he instead focused his gaze on the brownish stain to his left, and set about figuring what to do about his current situation. Sure to say, not much immediately sprang to mind. The hedgehog cursed aloud, his head throbbing from both the unnatural orientation and the knockout drugs, still coursing through his system. Tranquilliser, he seemed to recall. The attack at Sonic's place was still a vague blur, hovering just out of reach of his black-furred fingers. His eyes flicked millimetres left and right subconsciously, frustration building at his inability to remember what had happened. He didn't seem to find any particular memory of a certain azure lookalike, which he found oddly unnerving. Sonic wasn't too easy to take down, something he knew from experience. He wasn't worried as such; a lone hunter cared for no-one but themselves (bar blue-eyed blondes bearing the name 'Robotnik', of course...). However, something about his rival's absence made him feel some sort of unease. Maybe it was a sense of guilt?

_ Chaos, what was that thought?_

Sighing gruffly (with more than just a small uncharacteristic shudder), he gave up. Thinking too hard upside down just made his head hurt, and besides, he didn't care about Sonic.

There was no telling how long ago the fight with the G.U.N. Commander had been: it could have been weeks, or just a few minutes. The ultimate lifeform couldn't recall how the run-in had ended, but clearly it had been in the military's favour; winning a battle usually doesn't get you chained in a concrete prison miles beneath the surface of Mobius.

Sighing once more, Shadow closed his eyes and reluctantly awaited rescue, trying (and failing) to remind himself he was NOT, in fact, a damsel in distress...

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Meanwhile, a very sweaty hedgehog (this one of a much greener tint) was also having an internal identity crisis, feeling somewhat akin to a kitten over a bathtub.

Taking cover behind the left rudder of an Egg-Scouter X2J, Scourge tried his best not to look down at the vast waters beneath. Red rimmed shades perched upon his head, emerald and peach fur ruffled with exertion, the hedgehog heaved for breath through gritted fangs. The sunlight was blazing, the air arid, thin and far too warm for comfort. The lashing air from the flight constantly threatened to blow the sapient into the jet stream, clenched fingers digging dents into the metal as they held tight. Below lay a 15,000 foot freefall, then nothing but the cold, dark ocean. Something not many people had ever learned (that had lived, anyway) was that Scourge, just like his do-gooder doppelgänger, had a tremendous fear of water. His teeth clenched tighter, furious at his weakness; villains were the perpetrators of fear, not victims of it, damnit!

Not two minutes before, the three-strong squadron of Eggman's mechas the hedgehog had been pursuing had passed by another military base. The jets had come in close to the ground in avoiding a G.U.N. radar and an aerial patrol unit, and Scourge had sensed his chance. Keeping just under the sound-barrier, he ricocheted from the stone pillars of his desert surroundings onto the back of the left Scouter Jet. The squadron had then increased both their velocity and their altitude, forcing the stowaway to cling on tightly. Scourge, stronger physically but not as athletic as his Mobius Prime counterpart, was left thoroughly out of breath by this manoeuvre. Therefore, he had an even harder time finding the all-so-suddenly rare commodity that was oxygen as the mass of ocean at the edge of the desert came into view.

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_..._

Back on the shore, a tall figure shrouded by kicked up sand and the shimmering desert air stared out across the ocean. Onyx eyes blinked slowly, staring out across the waters as the mechas disappeared on the horizon. Angel Island was just the first step, he knew, to activating the Servers, and to either saving the world or reforming it through the forge of destruction. A quiet air of thought surrounded his form, his suspicions finally confirmed. A Chaos Master such as the green, spiked one could activate the ancient beacon, shining out the paths to the very Servers themselves.

A dark chuckle sounded, without humour or heart. He had no method of reaching the floating land, and no intention of going about trying, either. His plan was simply to follow the beacon, and to step in before things got out of hand.

A bag slung over the figure's shoulder, he laughed again, this time a sound of knowing and scheming. Inside the battered carrier lay a precious gem; the elusive key to the fate of the world.

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Around this time, somewhere upon the mysterious island floating half a mile above the Talgàdar Ocean, a spiky-fisted sapient stood guard akin a statue at Altar Emerald. Gloved hands clenching repeatedly, brows knitted together in focus, a sense of dread and impatience swirled behind jaded indigo eyes.

The Master Emerald, unbeknownst to the majorities, was capable of communicating with a select few Mobians; its cryptic messages always shrouded in a miasma of multiple interpretations, whatever event it spoke of was never a good thing. All who received its message heard the call differently: all saw different times, a separate view of its tellings. When Pachacamac's tribe of echidnas had inhabited the island, it had foretold the events of betrayal and destruction to be wrought upon the warriors. Glimpses of Central City, obliterated by the torrents and storms of Chaos, and of the Egg Carrier, cast from the blazing heavens amid thunder and dismay, had played about its many angles, months before the calamities occurred. As to when and where these events were due, it rarely gave word. It was a matter of watching, of waiting; the true job of the Chaos Guardian.

Knuckles gazed out at the setting sun, the sweat that had run down his dreadlocked fur unnoticed. The Master had given him a vision, and within it came a message, so starkly clear in contrast to the usual cloak and dagger:

_If the Servers are not stopped, all life shall burn as the world itself ends._


	8. Update

_**hello~ this is a small update to say i shall be continuing this story! However, i am going to completely rewrite it, as im no longer happy with the start at all. Expect mildly frequent updates**_


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